U.S. patent number 6,910,626 [Application Number 10/636,628] was granted by the patent office on 2005-06-28 for method of patient identifier verification.
Invention is credited to Christopher S. Walsh.
United States Patent |
6,910,626 |
Walsh |
June 28, 2005 |
Method of patient identifier verification
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for verification of the
identity of a patient undergoing treatment administered by a
medical treatment practitioner in a treatment room. An identifying
element such as patient chart or patient photograph is provided for
the patient which includes a patient identifier, e.g., a barcode,
capable of being read by a reader device located within the
treatment room. In use, the patient identifier is read by the
reader device in the treatment room and a characteristic audio
signal, previously assigned to the patient and known to the
patient, is generated in response to the reading of the identifying
element when there is a match between the patient identifier and a
stored identifier for the patient. Treatment of the patient is at
least temporarily withheld if any audio signal generated in
response to reading of the patient identifier by the reader device
is not the characteristic audio signal assigned to the patient. A
special patient chart with a removable identifier can be used. A
billing method which may involve the scanning step is also
provided.
Inventors: |
Walsh; Christopher S.
(Fredericksburg, VA) |
Family
ID: |
46204501 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/636,628 |
Filed: |
August 8, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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166167 |
Jun 11, 2002 |
6637649 |
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|
833785 |
Apr 13, 2001 |
6464136 |
Oct 15, 2002 |
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473138 |
Dec 28, 1999 |
6497358 |
Dec 24, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
235/380; 235/375;
235/462.01; 235/462.13; 235/470; 378/15; 705/3; 705/2; 700/243;
378/95; 378/8; 378/116; 235/462.45 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K
19/10 (20130101); G06K 7/0008 (20130101); A61N
5/1048 (20130101); G06Q 10/10 (20130101); G16H
20/40 (20180101); G16H 40/20 (20180101); G16H
10/65 (20180101); A61N 2005/1074 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61N
5/10 (20060101); G06Q 10/00 (20060101); G06K
19/10 (20060101); G06K 7/00 (20060101); G06K
005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;235/380,462.45,462.01,462.13,375,470 ;378/95,116,15,8 ;700/243
;705/2,3 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Fureman; Jared J.
Assistant Examiner: Trail; Allyson N
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Stites & Harbison PLLC Hunt,
Jr.; Ross F.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.
10/166,167, filed on Jun. 11, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,649,
which is a Division of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/833,785, filed
on Apr. 13, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,136, issued on Oct. 15,
2002, which is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No.
09/473,138, filed on Dec. 28, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,358,
issued on Dec. 24, 2002, and which is based on Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/153,243, filed on Sep. 13, 1999.
Claims
What is claimed:
1. A method of verification of an identity of a patient to which a
medical treatment is to be delivered, said method comprising:
scanning a patient identifier on an item associated with the
medical treatment to be delivered to the patient and placed on the
item by a patient caregiver for the patient to which the medical
treatment is to be delivered, said patient identifier identifying
the patient to which the medical treatment is to be delivered;
wherein a characteristic audio signal, previously assigned to the
particular individual patient, is generated in response to scanning
of the patient identifier; and wherein the caregiver verifies the
characteristic audio signal when the characteristic audio signal is
generated.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the patient also verifies
the characteristic audio signal when the characteristic audio
signal is generated.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the caregiver is a
radiation therapist, the medical treatment to be delivered
comprises radiation therapy, and said item comprises a patient
treatment chart.
4. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least one further item
carrying a patient identifier and associated with the delivery of
the medical treatment to be delivered is scanned.
5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the first-mentioned item
and the at least one further item must be scanned in a
predetermined sequence in order for said characteristic audio
signal to be generated.
6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising scanning a
further item carrying a patient identifier and generating said
characteristic audio signal in response to the scanning of said
further item.
7. A method according to claim 6 wherein both the first-mentioned
item and the further item must be scanned in sequence in order for
said characteristic audio signal to be generated.
8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the item comprises a
medication container.
9. A method according to claim 8 wherein both the medication
container and a patient chart must be scanned in a predetermined
sequence in order for said characteristic audio signal to be
generated.
10. A method of verification of an identity of a patient undergoing
radiation treatment administered by a radiation therapist in a
treatment room, said method comprising: scanning a patient
identifier on an item associated with the radiation treatment to be
delivered to the patient in the treatment room, said patient
identifier identifying the patient to which the medical treatment
is to be delivered; generating a characteristic audio signal,
previously assigned to the particular individual patient, in
response to scanning of the patient identifier; and verifying the
characteristic audio signal when the characteristic audio signal is
generated.
11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the radiation therapist
verifies the characteristic audio signal when the characteristic
audio signal is generated.
12. A method according to claim 10 wherein said scanning takes
place in the treatment room.
13. A method according to claim 10 wherein said item comprises a
patient treatment chart.
14. A method according to claim 13 wherein a further item is
scanned and said characteristic audio signal is generated only when
both of said items are scanned.
15. A method according to claim 14 wherein said characteristic
audio signal is generated only when both of said items are scanned
in predetermined sequence.
16. A method of verification of an identity of a patient to which
radiation treatment is to be delivered by a radiation treatment
caregiver, said method comprising: scanning a patient identifier on
a patient treatment chart associated with the radiation treatment
to be delivered to the patient, said patient identifier identifying
the patient to which the radiation treatment is to be delivered;
generating a characteristic audio signal, previously assigned to
the particular individual patient, in response to scanning of the
patient identifier; and verifying the characteristic audio signal
when the characteristic audio signal is generated.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the radiation treatment
caregiver verifies the characteristic audio signal when the
characteristic audio signal is generated.
18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the treatment chart has
a patient photograph associated therewith.
19. A method according to claim 16 wherein a further item is
scanned and said characteristic audio signal is generated only when
both of said items are scanned.
20. A method according to claim 19 wherein said characteristic
audio signal is generated only when both of said items are scanned
in predetermined sequence.
21. A method of verification of an identity of a patient to which a
medical treatment is to be delivered, said method comprising:
entering a patient identifier for an item associated with a medical
treatment to be delivered to a patient to be treated, said
identifier identifying the patient to which the medical treatment
is to be delivered; and causing reading, at a later time, of the
patient identifier entered for the item associated with the medical
treatment to be delivered to the patient; wherein a characteristic
audio signal, to the particular individual patient, is generated in
response to reading of the patient identifier; and wherein a
caregiver verifies the characteristic audio signal when the
characteristic audio signal is generated.
22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the patient also
verifies the characteristic audio signal when the characteristic
audio signal is generated.
23. A method according to claim 21 wherein the item is a patient
record.
24. A method according to claim 21 wherein the caregiver is a
radiation therapist, the medical treatment to be delivered
comprises radiation therapy, and said item comprises a patient
treatment chart.
25. A method according to claim 21 wherein a patient identifier is
entered for at least one further item associated with the delivery
of the medical treatment to be delivered; and wherein the patient
identifier for the first-mentioned item and for at least one
further item must be read in a predetermined sequence in order for
said characteristic audio signal to be generated.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to record and verify systems used in
medical treatments and, more particularly, to an improved record
and verification system for such use which includes a number of
important features and advantages as compared with prior art
systems including those currently in use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
By way of background, it is instructive to briefly consider the
history of verify and record systems used in connection with
radiation therapy treatment of patients using linear accelerators
or other megavoltage radiation units. Verify and record systems
were originally designed to verify that radiation treatments were
set up correctly by the radiation therapy technologist (RTT). This
was accomplished through verification that certain key parameters
were within predetermined tolerances. The verify and record process
has evolved more recently into an automated set-up procedure that
emphasizes rapid through-put, while de-emphasizing verification of
treatment parameters that previously were set manually by the RTT.
Some record and verify systems currently in use actually take
control of the manual process by changing physician-selected field
sizes, even though the field sizes fall within selected tolerance
limits. The trend toward automated systems has led to reduced
interaction between the user and the accelerator which has both
positive and negative implications. The philosophy of delivering
radiation treatment based on an automated set-up model is grounded
in the desire to reduce the potential for human error in the set-up
process. The downside of the automated or "black box" approach is
the disengagement of the RTT from parameter adjustment, i.e., in
relieving the RTT of the task of setting the patient treatment
parameters through adjustment of the linear accelerator. The
negative aspect of this is that if the RTT does not have to set the
parameters manually, the RTT is less conditioned to perform the
function manually and, therefore, less conditioned to detect errors
when these errors occur, whether these errors are dosimetry
programming or process errors and whether these errors occur in
manual or automated set-up modes. When the RTT is detached from the
procedure of manually setting up the patient for treatment, it
becomes more difficult for the overall treatment process to recover
should the automated process fail. In this regard, when an RTT sets
up a patient manually, the RTT "rehearses" the recovery procedure
that would be used if the automated primary process should fail.
However, when automated set-ups are employed, the RTT is less
"rehearsed" in recovering efficiently when the automated process is
not available, because such rehearsal of recovery procedures is not
integral to automated treatment delivery. The more safety critical
the task, the more the recovery should be rehearsed.
Given current trends in the medical industry, the trend toward
automated set-up is irreversible. Further, because of a number of
factors including cost pressures, the trend toward staffing
reduction is irreversible, at least in the near term. It also
appears clear that the electronic record will not totally replace
the paper chart, at least not in the near term. In this regard,
even if it were proven better for patient care to chart
electronically, physician resistance will hinder widespread
adoption in the foreseeable future. In general, physicians will not
abandon paper charts, either from habit or for medical-legal
reasons. Accordingly, the need for maintaining a paper record
during implementation of electronic medical record keeping will
continue. As a consequence, a further vulnerability of automated
radiation treatment systems (in addition to the disengagement of
the RTT from the manual recovery process when the automated system
is temporarily down), is the potential for mismatches between the
electronic record and the paper medical record. These mismatches
are commonly due to a failure of the RTT to document treatments in
the paper record when the automated system logs the event. The
problem of electronic record and paper mismatches is increasing in
the specialty of radiation oncology, as reported by clinical
medical physicists.
It should be understood that disengagement of the RTT from the
manual recovery process increases risk for patient care because the
verify and record systems, in many recent configurations, do not
check for human error. Record and verify systems, when programmed
and executed correctly, can prevent some errors, but not all.
Record and verify systems in current use cannot detect human errors
when the system itself is the primary process. Additionally, as
indicated above, the disengagement of the RTT from linear
accelerator parameter adjustment also can disengage the RTT from
subtle cues regarding patient identification and radiation field
placement. It would be desirable if record and verify systems were
configurable to allow automated set-ups at selected times for
certain radiation therapy technologists and not for others, such
as, for example, when the manual skills of selected RTTs are being
assessed. However, the overall trend is clearly toward automated
set-up because of the improved throughput which results, as well as
the industry-wide momentum toward multi-leaf collimator therapy,
which is more optimally performed with automation.
Greater automated throughput can lead to greater risk for other
reasons as well. Increased automation means greater potential for a
mistake occurring through dose calculation error, with the danger
of the error being repeated without prompt detection once the error
does occur. The emphasis on throughput also increases the
probability of errors in the actual treatment process,
characterized by patient identification errors, field sequence
errors and field alignment errors. Major preventable ways to harm
patients through treatment process failures include (1) treating
the wrong patient, i.e., treating a patient with a radiation
treatment intended for another patient; (2) treating the right
patient, but on a day when the patient is not supposed to receive
treatment until other evaluations are performed first (e.g.,
treating a patient when the patient should have been seen by the
doctor prior to the treatment delivery), and (3) treating the right
patient but with the improper treatment set-up, i.e., treating with
a wedged field without a wedge, treating with the wrong monitor
units (MU) programmed into the accelerator, or treating with the
wrong energy. In addition, as described above, in the event that
the record and verify device should be temporarily unavailable due
to a network, or other, problem, there is a distinct possibility or
even an increased probability of parameter selection errors due to
human error, because the process of automation can change the
behavior of the user, making the user more dependent on automation.
It is noted that more combination chemotherapy with radiation
increases toxicity and therefore increases the potential harm that
may occur to a patient if the patient receives the wrong treatment
or if the patient is treated without proper evaluation before
treatment. Moreover, pushing patients to the limit of tissue
tolerance increases the potential for adverse events. Automated
treatment may increase the possibility of undetected mistakes
related to automated set-up, thereby increasing the possibility of
patient injury.
As indicated above, the transition to automated treatment system
tends to distract the RTTs for a number of reasons. First, and very
basically, the new technology creates a new process. Further, the
new process diverts RTTs from traditional cross checks in the
treatment room. This is true of systems now in use such as the
VARIS, IMPAC and LANTIS systems. In addition, visual distractions
are created and the RTTs are diverted from paper chart
documentation which can be critical in the safe treatment of a
patient.
Although the focus above has been on radiation therapy, it will be
appreciated that similar problems exist in other medical treatment
settings including chemotherapy as well as in neonatal care,
dispensing of medications on both an inpatient and outpatient basis
and in other inpatient and outpatient applications wherein patient
verification, medication verification, medication delivery device
verification and the like are of importance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, a record and verify method is
provided which addresses the issues discussed above. Among other
advantages, the method of the invention assists in verification of
patient identity, and, according to an important feature, enlists
the patient in the identification process. The invention also
documents electronically and manually which RTT was responsible for
final parameter verification, including documenting the treated
patient, and time of cross-check, and thus avoiding electronic
record and paper record mismatches. The patient identification
component is installed at a workstation and functions even if the
system network is down, thereby maintaining an accountability trail
as part of the recovery procedure from network failure.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method of verification of an identity of a patient to
which a medical treatment is to be delivered, the method
comprising: scanning a patient identifier on an item associated
with the medical treatment to be delivered to the patient and
placed on the item by a patient caregiver for the patient to which
the medical treatment is to be delivered, said patient identifier
identifying the patient to which the medical treatment is to be
delivered; wherein a characteristic audio signal, previously
assigned to the patient, is generated in response to scanning of
the patient identifier; and wherein the caregiver verifies the
characteristic audio signal when the characteristic audio signal is
generated.
Advantageously, patient also verifies the characteristic audio
signal when the characteristic audio signal is generated.
In an important implementation, the caregiver is a radiation
therapist, the medical treatment to be delivered comprises
radiation therapy, and said item comprises a patient treatment
chart. Preferably, at least one further item carrying a patient
identifier and associated with the delivery of the medical
treatment to be delivered is scanned. Advantageously, the
first-mentioned item and the at least one further item must be
scanned in a predetermined sequence in order for said
characteristic audio signal to be generated.
In a more general implementation, the method further comprises
scanning a further item carrying a patient identifier and
generating said characteristic audio signal in response to the
scanning of said further item. Preferably, both the first-mentioned
item and the further item must be scanned in sequence in order for
said characteristic audio signal to be generated.
In another important implementation, the item comprises a
medication container. Advantageously, both the medication container
and a patient chart must be scanned in a predetermined sequence in
order for the characteristic audio signal to be generated.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method of verification of an identity of a patient undergoing
radiation treatment administered by a radiation therapist in a
treatment room, the method comprising: scanning a patient
identifier on an item associated with the radiation treatment to be
delivered to the patient in the treatment room, said patient
identifier identifying the patient to which the medical treatment
is to be delivered; generating a characteristic audio signal,
previously assigned to the patient, in response to scanning of the
patient identifier; and verifying the characteristic audio signal
when the characteristic audio signal is generated.
Advantageously, the radiation therapist verifies the characteristic
audio signal when the characteristic audio signal is generated.
In one important embodiment, the item comprises a patient treatment
chart.
In an important implementation, a further item is scanned and the
characteristic audio signal is generated only when both of said
items are scanned. Advantageously, the characteristic audio signal
is generated only when both of said items are scanned in
predetermined sequence.
Preferably, the scanning of the patient identifier takes place in
the treatment room.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method of verification of an identity of a patient to
which radiation treatment is to be delivered by a radiation
treatment caregiver, the method comprising: scanning a patient
identifier on a patient treatment chart associated with the
radiation treatment to be delivered to the patient, said patient
identifier identifying the patient to which the radiation treatment
is to be delivered; generating a characteristic audio signal,
previously assigned to the patient, in response to scanning of the
patient identifier; and verifying the characteristic audio signal
when the characteristic audio signal is generated.
Preferably, the radiation treatment caregiver verifies the
characteristic audio signal when the characteristic audio signal is
generated.
In an advantageous embodiment, the treatment chart has a patient
photograph associated therewith.
In an important implementation, a further item is scanned and the
characteristic audio signal is generated only when both of said
items are scanned. Advantageously, the characteristic audio signal
is generated only when both of said items are scanned in
predetermined sequence.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be
set forth in, or apparent from, the detailed description of
preferred embodiments thereof which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a record and verify system in
accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an initial consultation sequence
involving the patient to be treated; and
FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D, taken together, are a flow chart of a
record and verify method in accordance with one preferred
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a further embodiment of the
verification system of the invention as employed in a radiation
therapy setting;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of yet another embodiment of the
verification system of the invention as employed in an access
control mode;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a still further embodiment of the
verification system of the invention;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a check sheet in accordance with a further
aspect of the invention;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a treatment station in accordance with
yet another embodiment of the invention; and
FIGS. 9(a) to 9(d) are, taken together, a block form flow chart of
a chemotherapy treatment method in accordance with an additional
embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram is provided of one preferred
embodiment of the overall system. A treatment room 10 includes a
conventional linear accelerator 12 which administers the radiation
treatment to the patient and which may be any conventional analog
or digital system. Two laser verification stations 14A and 14B are
provided in the treatment room 10 along with a treatment monitor
16. The stations 14A and 14B are identical and each preferably
includes a respective barcode reader 15A and 15B and a speaker 17A
and 17B placed into a single mountable box (not shown). In a
preferred embodiment, the verification stations 14A and 14B are
located across the treatment room 10 from each other, just beyond
the isocenter in the direction of the maze, with the linear
accelerator 12 being located between the stations 14A and 14B.
Further, the stations 14A and 14B should be situated so that a
first technologist, Technologist A, is able to scan a chart or
identification card or photograph (not shown) at station 14A on the
wall (the left wall is viewed in FIG. 1) while a second
technologist, Technologist B, is able to scan a patient's paper
verification sheet (as referred to as an electronic sheet, or
e-Sheet) at station 14B on the opposite (right) wall. As described
below, the e-Sheet is a verification sheet used by the technologist
during treatment which shows scheduled and actual treatments. With
this setup, each technologist faces towards the gantry of the
accelerator 10 and the patient. It is possible to scan the chart on
the right rather than the left wall but the e Sheet would then have
to be scanned on the left wall scanner. It is understood that while
the terms "technologist" or "therapist" are used throughout, the
actions described can be carried out by any qualified person
including qualified doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel
and these terms are intended to cover this.
The treatment monitor 16 is used to display the name of the patient
and the treatment field values, i.e., the actual fields which are
used by the accelerator 10 and which are verified by the
verification system. A typical listing of the treatment fields is
provided in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1 Treatment Chart Fields and Descriptions Number Description
1 Hospital Reference Number 2 Radiation Oncology Number 3 Protocol
Number 4 Patient's Date of Birth 5 Referring Doctor's Name,
Address, Phone Number and Identification number 6 Patient's Name 7
Patient's Address 8 Patient's Home Phone Number 9 Patient's Work
Phone Number 10 Patient's Diagnosis 11 Diagnosis ICU-9 Code 12
Palliative or Radical 13 Definitive 14 Adjuvant 15 Pre-Op 16
Post-Op 17 Chemotherapy 18 Series Number 19 Current Date 20 Site to
be treated 21 Field Description 22 Rx Dose 23 Dose per Fraction 24
Cumulative Dose 25 Number of Fractions 26 Energy 27 Modify 28
Reassess 29 Stop 30 Planned Rest 31 Total Treatments Planned 32
Physician Signature 33 Previous Radiation Technologist 34 Consent
Signed 35 Collimator Size 36 SAD/SSD 37 Gantry Angle 39 Collimator
Angle 40 Drum/Table Angle 41 Tray/Wedge 42 Monitor Units 43
Comments 44 Port Film Verifications 45 Inpatient/Outpatient 46
Elapsed day count for number of treatments (can start at 0) 47
Radiation Treatment Technologist 48 Monitor Units 49 Tumor Dose
Cumulative dosage 50 Physics
Located outside of the treatment room in a treatment console area
18 is a verification workstation 20 including a verification
monitor 22 (e.g., a standard twenty-one inch color monitor) and an
associated high-speed printer 24 connected to the verification
workstation 20. Also located in area 18 is an accelerator
workstation 26 including a card swipe reader 27 and an accelerator
monitor 28. The verification workstation 20 basically comprises a
personal computer (e.g., NT 4.0) with a keyboard and mouse, which
are not illustrated, together with a barcode reader which is shown
separately at 21 and a mounted card swipe reader shown separately
at 23. The workstation 20 preferably has a minimum of a 10-Megabyte
hard drive and 64 Megabytes of memory.
As indicated in FIG. 1, the system also includes a fileserver 30
for the verification workstation 20 which is normally located in a
secured room 32. Preferably, there is a TCP/IP connection from the
verification station 20, and the file server 30 has enough memory
to support at least one verification workstation. The system may
also include further, optional verification workstations 34 for
running an administration function described below.
For shorthand purposes, the method of the invention will be
referred to hereinbelow as the VEEBAT (Verify Easily Electronically
Before and After Treatment) method or process, and the verification
workstation 20 will also be referred to as the VEEBAT workstation.
Moreover, certain terminology will be used which is explained below
and which, for the sake of convenience, is capitalized in the
description which follows and also defined in the glossary set
forth below.
Before consideration of the process in detail, it is noted that the
VEEBAT process may take various paths based on its configuration.
For example, the configuration may be set up for each patient
daily, or just once. The basic configurable parameters are
Treatment Fields, technologist, patient and day of the week. Any
combination of parameters may be configured. The VEEBAT
verification process may be run at the verification (VEEBAT)
workstation 20 in an Auto Setup Mode or Manual Setup Mode. The mode
refers to how the Treatment Field Values are entered into the
accelerometer (PRIMUS) workstation 26. A Manual Setup will have the
Treatment Field Values manually entered at the accelerator
workstation 26 and an Auto Setup will have the Field Values
automatically downloaded from the VEEBAT workstation 20 which
electronically sends the treatment parameters automatically to the
Accelerator workstation 26. The VEEBAT process may be configured
for Auto or Manual Setup based on four parameters: the
technologist, the patient, the current day, and the treatment. The
technologist parameter has highest priority, i.e., if a particular
technologist is configured for VEEBAT Manual only, then Manual will
take precedence over Auto setup.
It is noted that the process is configured for two laser
verification stations 14A and 14B in the treatment room 10 but may
be overridden to operate with one of the laser verification
stations if the other laser verification station fails.
Regarding the VEEBAT workstation 20, the process is configured with
the single, above-mentioned barcode reader 21 located at the VEEBAT
workstation 20 with the VEEBAT Verification Function. The VEEBAT
workstation barcode reader 21 functions only to enable access to
the application, not to perform the "echo function" (bar-coded
photo/e-sheet cross check) described below.
The process is configured to display various reports at VEEBAT
startup. The reports are as follows: partial treatment report,
cumulative dose reached report, and scheduled patient report. The
reports will be displayed on monitor 22 in a scrolling fashion that
can be controlled by the person viewing the reports. The partial
treatment report will give a listing of patients who received
partial treatment the previous day. This report will include the
date and the patient's name. The cumulative dose reached report
will list patients who have or will exceed their prescribed
cumulative dose. The patient's cumulative doses is prescribed by
the Radiation Oncologist. The report will include the date and the
patient's name. The scheduled patient report will list all patients
who are scheduled for treatment on that date. The report will
include the patient's name and time of treatment.
As an initial matter, referring to FIG. 2, a Patient's File is
created on the patient's initial visit. A Patient's File creation
consists of the initial consultation and, if advised, the patient's
radiation oncology consultation. These steps are indicated in FIG.
2 by blocks 36 and 38. These particular sections of the Patient's
File determine if a patient should be treated and, if so, the
treatment strategy. A patient's initial consultation determines if
radiation therapy is advisable. A radiation secretary creates a Red
Folder. The folder contains the patient's referral and medical
history. If treatment is advised, a patient is set up for a
radiation oncology consultation. Otherwise, the patient's Red
Folder will be archived. A radiation oncology consultation
determines a patient's prescribed treatment. The patient's initial
Red Folder is then moved to a White Folder. The patient's VEEBAT
account is created along with a Treatment Folder. The White Folder
is a permanent folder for a patient. It will contain the initial
Red Folder's contents and radiation oncology consultation.
After completion of a patient's scheduled treatments, all documents
in the Treatment Folder are moved to the patient's White Folder.
The Treatment Folder is used during the patient's treatments. The
folder contains a Treatment Chart, e Sheet, patient set-up
photographs and the patient's Polaroid Photo. These items are
discussed below. The Treatment Folder also contains the dose
calculation work sheets and simulation data, consent form and
computer isodose plans, as well as in-vivo dosimetry data. The
purpose of using two folders per patient is to reduce conflicts
during treatment caused by situations in which radiation treatment
technologist (R.T.T.) and nursing personnel simultaneously require
access to the medical record. The White Folder and Treatment Folder
are presented to the Radiation Oncologist for telephone calls,
patient encounters, dictation, and the like. The Treatment Chart
contains a patient's original prescription and treatment schedule
signed by the Radiation Oncologist. The chart is used during
treatment by the Technologist to manually enter Treatment Field
Values into the accelerator workstation 26. Typical Treatment Field
Values are set forth in Table 2 below.
TABLE 2 Number Name 1 Monitor Units 2 Jaw/Collimator Size 3
Collimator Angle 4 Gantry Angle 5 Table Drum Angle (optional)
The e Sheet is, as mentioned above, used during the verification
process to store prescribed and actual Treatment field Values. A
new Treatment Folder will receive a blank e Sheet. A barcode is
attached to the e Sheet. A detailed listing of fields and
descriptions is provided above. Each Treatment Folder contains
patient's set-up photographs to indicate the area for treatment
along with tattoo markings. Each Treatment Folder also contains a
patient's Polaroid Photo. This photograph or picture is used during
the verification process to help insure the Treatment Folder
belongs with the patient being treated. A barcode is attached to
the Polaroid Photo.
The method and system of the invention lends itself well to
accounting and billing tasks. As a first step, the patient's VEEBAT
Account is created. The account is used in the verification
procedure during treatments. The account is generated on a VEEBAT
verification workstation 20 (or one of the optional workstations
34) using the VEEBAT Administration Function. A typical chart with
a detailed listing of fields and descriptions is provided in Table
3 below. Barcodes on the patient's e Sheet and Polaroid photo will
be associated to the patient's VEEBAT Account. As described in more
detail below, the patient will be assigned a unique audio signal
(e.g., a three tone audio signal in the exemplary embodiment under
consideration) that will be used for audio verification by each of
the patient, Technologist A and Technologist B in the Treatment
Room prior to treatment.
TABLE 3 Patient Information RT#: Patient Name: Date of Birth:
Referring MD: (link into UPIN chart) City of Residence: Telephone
No (home): Telephone No (work): Diagnosis: {ascii text} ICD 9 Code:
(link into ICD 9 chart) Chemotherapy y/n Hormone Therapy y/n Bar
code - Polaroid photo: Bar code - e Sheet: (link to actual
treatment delivered)
A simulation system provides access to a comprehensive library of
treatment strategies, including treatment protocols, simulation
checklists, guides on how to order tests, and test rationale and,
as indicated by block 40 in FIG. 2, a simulation work-up can be
provided as part of the initial consultation process.
Turning now to the actual patient treatment process which is one
key aspect of the present invention, and referring to FIGS. 3A to
3D, the patient arrives for treatment as indicated by block 42 and
checks in with the receptionist. Technologist A obtains the
patient's Treatment Folder, scans the patient's Polaroid Photo at
the treatment console or workstation 20 to initiate VEEBAT
Verification Function, and ensures the patient matches the patient
Polaroid Photo, as indicated by block 44. If there is a match,
Technologists A and B escort the patient to treatment room 10
(block 46). Technologist B obtains the patient's e Sheet from the
Treatment Folder. Technologist A scans the photo at the barcode
reader 15A of the verification station 14 (block 48). If
Technologist A is unable to scan the photo for any reason, a
Supervisor will be requested to help resolve the problem. Once the
photo has been successfully scanned, the VEEBAT verification
workstation 20 will associate the photo with the patient's VEEBAT
Account in the VEEBAT Database (block 50). If the patient's VEEBAT
Account is not found, an Audio Error Signal ("beep") will be
emitted and a Supervisor will be required to resolve the
problem.
Considering in more detail the steps which take place, after
Technologists A and B escort the patient into Treatment Room 10,
the patient is correctly positioned on treatment table.
Technologist A proceeds to either laser verification station 14A or
14B. Technologist B proceeds to other laser verification station.
It will be assumed here that Technologist A is at station 14A and
Technologist B is at station 14B. Technologist A then scans barcode
on the patient's Polaroid Photo at the barcode reader 15A (block
48). The barcode is passed to the VEEBAT Verification Function at
the verification workstation 20 to ensure the barcode matches the
Polaroid Photo bar code that was just scanned outside the treatment
room at the verification workstation 20. If valid, the patient's
audio signal is emitted at the verification station 14A. If the
Technologist fails to scan the Patient's Polaroid Photo at the
VEEBAT verification workstation 20, an Audio Error Signal is
issued. This will require the Technologist to go back to the VEEBAT
verification workstation 20 to scan the Patient's Polaroid Photo
bar code to initiate the VEEBAT Verification Function. Further, if
the bar code scanned at barcode reader 15A of verification
workstation 14A is a valid VEEBAT account bar code, but does not
match the bar code previously scanned at the VEEBAT verification
workstation 20, an audio Error Signal will be emitted in this case
as well and a Supervisor will be required to resolve the problem.
If the patient's e Sheet bar code is scanned first, i.e., if the
bar code scanned is the e Sheet bar code associated with the
current VEEBAT Account, an audio Warning Signal is issued and the
system waits for the Patient's Polaroid Photo bar code to be
scanned. If the bar code is not a valid VEEBAT bar code, it will be
considered to be a read error. The VEEBAT verification workstation
will emit an audio Warning Signal and wait for a re-scan.
Considering other potential failures, if the bar code is found but
the patient cannot be treated, an audio Error Signal is issued.
Again a Supervisor is required to resolve this problem. If the
patient's cumulative dose exceeds or will exceed the patient's
prescribed dose, a stop order is issued. In this regard, the
patient's VEEBAT Account has a stop treatment flag set, which is
determined by the Radiation Oncologist.
The patient name and scheduled Treatment Field Values from the
selected VEEBAT Account are displayed on the treatment monitor 16
in a large font for easy readability. Also, if a port verification
film (PVF) is scheduled, a reminder will appear on the treatment
room monitor 16 to remind the technologists. Technologists A and B
will visually verify that the name displayed on the monitor matches
the patient's name. If not, a Supervisor shall be called to resolve
the problem.
Referring to FIG. 3B, in the next step, Technologist B scans the
patient's e Sheet bar code, as indicated by block 52 at barcode
reader 15B of verification workstation 14B. The VEEBAT Verification
Function then verifies that the bar code is assigned to the
patient's VEEBAT Account. Verification of the patient chart and e
Sheet is then provided. As shown by decision diamond 56, if valid,
i.e., if there is a match, the patient's audio signal is emitted.
If there is no match, an audio Error Signal is emitted and a
Supervisor is required to resolve this problem (block 58). When the
tone is emitted, Technologist A, Technologist B, and the patient
all verify that the audio signals emitted from Verification
Stations 14A and 14B are the same. The use of identification
signals such as unique audio signals is an important aspect of the
invention and, among other advantages, provides a comfort level for
the patient that is not available with other methods and systems.
If anyone questions the comparison of the audio signals, a
Supervisor is required to resolve this issue. This aspect of the
invention, i.e., the use of an audio signal unique to the patient
and the requirement that the patient and the technologist (or
technologists) in attendance all verify the signal, is discussed in
more detail below.
Next, as shown by block 60, Technologist A proceeds to accelerator
workstation 26 and Technologist B proceeds to the VEEBAT
verification workstation 20 to access the VEEBAT Verification
Function. Technologist A logs onto the accelerator workstation 26
(block 62) and uses the card swipe reader 27 located on the
accelerator workstation 26 to register with the Verification
Function of the VEEBAT verification workstation 20. If Technologist
A is unknown or does not have privilege to apply treatment, then
the Verification Function of the verification (VEEBAT) workstation
20 will display a message at the VEEBAT workstation indicating the
discrepancy. A Supervisor will be required to resolve this
problem.
Technologist B logs onto the VEEBAT verification workstation 20 by
using the card swipe reader 23 located on the VEEBAT verification
workstation 20 that uses the VEEBAT Verification Function (block
64). If Technologist B is unknown or does not have privilege to
apply treatment, then the Verification Function will display a
message on the VEEBAT verification workstation 20 indicating the
discrepancy. A Supervisor will be required to resolve this problem.
Technologist B then views the scheduled Treatment Field Values for
the patient at the VEEBAT workstation 20 (block 66).
As indicated by decision diamond 68, and was discussed above, the
VEEBAT process can be configured for Manual Setup or Auto Setup. If
the former confirmation is chosen, as indicated by block 70, the
steps set forth at the left side of FIG. 3C are taken. Considering
these steps, Manual Setup first requires that Technologist A
manually enter Treatment Field Values as indicated on the patient's
Treatment Chart at the accelerator workstation 26. The Treatment
Field Values are then automatically verified at the VEEBAT
workstation 20 by the VEEBAT Verification Function against the
patient's prescribed treatment. As shown by block 74, Technologist
A manually enters Treatment Field Values indicated on the patient's
Treatment Chart at the accelerator workstation 26. Technologist B
then places the VEEBAT Verification Function in ready-to-receive
mode. Technologist B verbally requests Technologist A to
electronically send the patient's Treatment Field Values that were
manually entered at the accelerator workstation 26 to the VEEBAT
workstation 20 (block 76). The accelerator (PRIMUS) workstation 26
electronically sends the data to the VEEBAT workstation 20 when
Technologist A presses a designated button (e.g., the "ACCEPT"
button) on the accelerator keyboard (block 78). The VEEBAT
workstation Verification Function will only receive values from the
accelerator workstation 26 when the VEEBAT verification workstation
is in the ready-to-receive mode. At any time, Technologist B has
the option to cancel the ready-to-receive mode, thus returning the
VEEBAT verification workstation 20 to its previous state.
As indicated by block 80, the VEEBAT Verification Function, after
receiving the accelerator values that have been entered, will then
verify all patient's Treatment Field Values and confirm that all
values are within predetermined tolerances. If any Treatment Field
Values are not within the predetermined tolerances, the VEEBAT
verification workstation will give an audio Warning Signal ("beep")
and display an asterisk beside each field that is not within the
predetermined tolerance. If all fields are within predetermined
tolerance (i.e., when the output of decision diamond 82 is "yes"),
the method or procedure continues as described below.
As indicated by decision diamond 82, if accelerator manual values
are incorrect, Technologist B advises Technologist A to reenter any
Treatment Field that was flagged at the VEEBAT workstation with an
asterisk (block 84). The processing is then repeated. If
Technologist A intentionally enters in a value that is not
consistent with the predetermined tolerance for any of patient's
Treatment Fields, a Supervisor override is required.
Referring to the right side of FIG. 3C, the Auto Setup
configuration electronically sends values from the patient's VEEBAT
Account through the VEEBAT verification workstation 20 to the
Accelerator workstation 26. In this regard, in the specific
implementation under consideration, Technologist A places the
accelerator workstation in a ready-to-receive mode by depressing a
specific key (e.g., the F5 key) on the accelerator keyboard (not
shown). Technologist A verbally requests Technologist B to
electronically send the patient's Treatment Field Values (block
86). Technologist B, by depressing a download key, sends the
requested patient's Treatment Field Values to the accelerator
workstation 26.
It is noted that in accordance with a further aspect of the
invention different tolerances are provided for Manual Setup and
Auto Setup. In Auto Setup, relatively tight tolerances are provided
so that, for example, the gantry angle tolerance may be
.+-.1.degree.. Although the automated operation has its advantages,
it is important in some circumstances to provide a manual approach
wherein the RTT manually sets the Treatment Field Values. Such a
manual approach can be customized to the requirements of the
patient over time and, in this regard, the Treatment Field Values
may be changed over the course of treatment during the day. As a
consequence, the tolerances set here should be relatively wider to
accommodate the manual approach and, for example, the gantry angle
tolerance may set at .+-.5.degree.. Thus the VEEBAT function
provides a different set of tolerances for Manual Setup versus Auto
Setup.
Referring to FIG. 3D, which depicts the remainder of the method or
procedure, which is common to both the Manual Setup and Auto Setup,
Technologist B requests the VEEBAT verification workstation 20 to
print a treatment entry on the patient's e Sheet at printer 24
(block 86), i.e., the date, energy, MU and wedge (i.e., the number
of the wedge used, if any) for each prescribed/scheduled Treatment
Field of the current treatment session. This occurs before the
first treatment field for this treatment session. If this is not
the patient's initial treatment session, the technologist will
compare the printed values on the e Sheet to the previous treatment
values (i.e. the line above on the chart). If the verification
fails, a Supervisor is informed of any discrepancies.
As indicated by block 88, Technologist B next gives the Accelerator
workstation 26 permission to treat the patient via the VEEBAT
verification workstation 20 and verbally informs Technologist A to
proceed with treatment. If, during treatment, the accelerator 12
fails to give a complete treatment due to mechanical failure or
technologist intervention, Technologist A may "fix" the problem and
resume treatment until treatment is complete. However, if
Technologist A is unable to complete treatment due to equipment
failure or human decision, a Supervisor should, at a later time but
prior to next treatment, manually write in the make-up dosage in
the right margin of the Treatment Chart and override the patient's
VEEBAT Treatment Schedule.
Next, as indicated by block 90, the actual Treatment Field Values
are sent to the VEEBAT verification workstation 20 from accelerator
workstation 26. The VEEBAT Verification Function updates the screen
with actual treatment dose delivered and saves the values to the
VEEBAT fileserver 30. If this is not the last treatment beam of the
session, the technologists return to the treatment room and set up
the patient for the next treatment field. If this is the last
treatment, as shown by block 92, Technologist B submits the e Sheet
to print the actual monitoring units (MU) on the same row of the e
Sheet where the prescribed/scheduled Treatment Field Values are
printed on the e Sheet in step 86 above. Thus, in a preferred
embodiment, the e Sheet will include columns of entry spaces for
the date, energy, wedge and MU, and for initialing by the
Technologist or therapist. Such an e Sheet has important advantages
because of its simplicity. An asterisk will be printed beside each
Treatment Field that received a MU value outside the predetermined
tolerance range. If one or more Treatment Field MUs were printed
with asterisks, an asterisk will also be printed in the far
right-hand column for the day's treatment. This asterisk indicates
any discrepancies to the reviewing Physicist. Technologist B should
initial the e Sheet at the appropriate session entry space and hand
it to technologist A to initial and return to the patient's
Treatment Folder (block 92). Technologist A enters the actual
Treatment Field Values as shown on the accelerator workstation
screen on the Patient's Treatment Chart (block 94). Technologist A
then initials the Patient's Treatment Chart at the appropriate
session line and hands it to Technologist B. Technologist B
initials the Patient's Treatment Chart at the appropriate session
line and returns it to the Patient's Treatment Folder (block
96).
Referring to block 98, at the end of the day, various reports can
be requested. The reports are generated at a VEEBAT verification
workstation 20 using the VEEBAT Administration Function. These
reports can include a report of patients who received partial
treatment. This report will list each patient that received a
smaller dose for that day than was prescribed for that day. This
report shall contain patient names and RT numbers.
The reports may also include a list of scheduled patients who were
not treated. Such a report will list each patient who was scheduled
for treatment that day but did not receive treatment that day for
any reason. This report shall also contain the Patient names and RT
numbers.
Statistics can also be output for the following treatment types:
electron, photon, simple, intermediate and/or complex.
A billing summary can also be produced. This report will list
charge codes for each patient treatment as well as patient's name,
and concurrent chemotherapy or hormone treatments, if any.
A report can be generated on any information maintained in the
VEEBAT database which is located on Fileserver 30.
Considering in more detail the use of a photograph of the patient
in generating distinctive audio output, in a preferred embodiment,
a photograph of the face of the patient with an identifying barcode
is taped or otherwise affixed to the inside front jacket of the
Treatment Chart, although the photograph and bar code can take
other forms and be printed or mounted on other media. When the
chart photograph, with barcode, is scanned by the barcode reader of
the corresponding laser verification station in question (station
14A in the example above), a suitable audio output which is
uniquely associated with, i.e., specific to, the particular patient
is emitted by the speaker (not shown) of the station. Conventional
methods are available to generate a specific audio output in
response to a corresponding triggering input, including computer
generation of sounds or tones. As described above, verification
station 14B is used to scan the patient's e sheet. In the specific
exemplary embodiment under consideration, the audio output is an
audio signal which takes about one second to complete. Of course,
while a soothing tone sequence is preferred and has important
advantages, other audio outputs can be used including a recording
of the patient's name.
In an exemplary embodiment wherein three sequence of tones
comprising the three tone chord is determined at simulation by the
patient's RT number. For example, departments with different
lengths of patient identifying numbers can adjust with a different
range of octaves. Four digit departments can use a different octave
for the first digit. Five digit departments can use a different
octave for the first and second digit. Digits which begin with
eight or nine can use sharps or flats as the first digit.
As indicated above, in the specific application under
consideration, the second therapist, Therapist B, scans the
patient's e Sheet at barcode reader 15B at laser verification
station 14B located inside the treatment room on the opposite wall
from station 14A, and a confirmatory audio signal emitted from the
speaker 17B at station 14B is reassuring the staff that the
Treatment Chart's face photo matches the e Sheet. This creates an
opportunity to detect whether another patient's e Sheet has been
inadvertently placed in the Treatment Chart. The audio signal
emitted at station 14A obtained by scanning the patient's Treatment
Chart should match precisely the audio signal emitted from the
speaker 17B at station 14B. This process of scanning the Treatment
Chart, producing a patient specific audio signal and then
confirming the audio signal by scanning the e Sheet and producing
the audio signal again is referred to herein as "echoing." Echoing
is performed most efficiently when the e Sheet is scanned almost
immediately after the Treatment Chart is scanned and thus generates
its audio signal.
The sequence of Treatment Chart audio signal activation, followed
by e Sheet tone activation, confirms that the Treatment Chart photo
barcode is the same as the e Sheet barcode. If the wrong Treatment
Chart is selected, the patient should notice a non-familiar audio
signal, providing a self-managing dimension to the VEEBAT process.
Patients often report to their radiation oncology caregivers that
they count the seconds of treatment or that they occasionally
report perceived changes in the sound of the accelerator as it
delivers the radiation treatment. The confirmatory audio signal
should reassure anxious patients, while allowing an opportunity for
wrong audio signal to be noticed by a patient. This provides an
added incentive for the staff to select the correct Treatment Chart
since the patient also participates in the cross checking
process.
In accordance with a further feature of this aspect of the
invention, subsequent fields will be confirmed by a repeat of the
last tone and the next tone of the second field, the last tone and
the two next tones for the third field, and the last tone and three
consecutive tones for the fourth field. Variations of this tone
feedback process could be used for three dimensional conformal
therapy. Certainly, many patients are already primed for audible
feedback and the use of audio confirmation should be of help to
patients as well as the staff. The foregoing sequence of barcode
scanning brings up the patient's VEEBAT parameters which may then
be downloaded for Auto Setup or Manual Setup, followed by
verification before and after treatment as described above. This
verification process provides a number of important advantages
which will now be described.
First, two therapists are encouraged to enter the room with the
patient and the Treatment Chart, maximizing the opportunity for
satisfactory visual crosscheck. Both therapists are encouraged to
enter the room because efficiency inside the room will be rewarded
by bringing up the VEEBAT parameters more rapidly, either for
Manual Setup verification or Auto Setup. As indicated previously,
two therapists are not required to enter the room but if only one
therapist enters the room, she or he will still have to bring the
Treatment Chart so that no charts will be left on the counter
outside the treatment room. Moreover, the lone therapist will still
have to set up the patient properly, then activate the VEEBAT queue
with the e Sheet at the right wall, i.e., at station 14B, as viewed
in FIG. 1.
Further, with two therapists Therapist A must be with the patient
at the left side of Accelerator 12 before the audio signal can be
generated. The Treatment Monitor 16 and the VEEBAT monitor 22 will
display simplified patient parameters only after the e Sheet is
properly scanned and the second audio signal is generated at
station 14B. Typically, the simplified parameters are defined as a
field number, i.e., 1) AP pelvis/prostate, 2) R lat
pelvis/prostate, 3) PA pelvis/prostate, and 4) L lat. If Auto Setup
has been approved by the Radiation Oncologist for the treatment of
the patient, then treatment monitor 16 (in treatment room 10), and
VEEBAT monitor 22 (on the treatment counter) will display the
simplified patient parameters with, e.g., red letters. If the
patient is being treated using Manual Setup, then the corresponding
screens will display the simplified patient parameters with
different, e.g., white, letters.
Because the display will also appear on VEEBAT monitor 22 at the
treatment counter in area 18 which is not in treatment room 10,
this provides advanced queuing for treatment, thereby minimizing
delays outside the room due to delays in calling up the parameters
after the patient's alignment has been visually cross-checked.
In an advantageous implementation, patients are assigned a new RT
number and bar code for each course of radiation therapy. In an
advantageous implementation, if a patient returns to the radiation
oncology department in the future, e.g., for a second course of
radiation therapy several years in the future, a fourth note will
be added before the three-tone chord assigned for the current year,
creating a new four-note chord. This serves as an audible reminder
to the staff that the patient has had a previous course of therapy,
and that they should watch our for possible overlap of the current
field with the prior fields. A third course of therapy will
generate a fifth note. In other words, in this implementation,
there will be two tones, followed by a pause, followed by the
three-tone chord for the current course of radiation treatment. It
is more difficult to audibly discriminate longer sequences of
tones, and this approach takes advantage of this. The greater the
number of prior courses of radiation the patient has had in prior
years, the more difficult it is for the therapist to feel
comfortable with alpha-beta confirmations, and the more motivated
he or she will be to go back to the records to verify lack of
overlap with the current fields.
One very important advantage of the verification method and system
of the invention is that its primary method of supplemental
communication is audio, thereby eliminating the use of additional
visual distractions that might divert the attention away of the
therapists from the patient's Treatment Chart and actual treatment
setup and visual cross-check. This approach also provides for more
efficient queuing of the server verification data to the monitor
outside the treatment room, so as to provide time for therapists to
perform an official verification, followed by treatment,
immediately upon reaching the treatment counter or console.
Overall, the invention should make treatments faster and more
accurate than with existing record and verify systems, because the
invention enhances and verifies efficient manual process without
altering therapist behavior.
GLOSSARY Accelerator The actual accelerator located in the
treatment room. Accelerator System The Accelerator Workstation and
the Accelerator. Accelerator Part of the Accelerator System,
Consists of Workstation monitor, special keyboard, and computer.
Location is outside the room of the Accelerator. Auto Setup The
Accelerator System receives its Treatment Field Values from the
Auto Download Verification Function Bar Code A label on the
Polaroid Photo and e Sheet used to identify electronically the
patients VEEBAT Account. Card Swipe Device used to identify user by
badge number Cumulative Dose Total Radiation received e Sheet
Verification sheet used by Technologist during treatment showing
scheduled and actual treatments Error Signal Audio tone emitted
from VEEBAT Workstation when an error requiring a Supervisor is
required. ICD-9 Codes Used to categorize patients cancer location
Laser Verification A verification station located in the treatment
Station A room. Consist of a bar code reader and a speaker. Used by
Technologist A to read a patients bar coded Patients Chart. Laser
Verification A verification station located in the treatment
Station B room consisting of a bar code reader and a speaker. Used
by Technologist A in reading a patient's bar coded Patients Chart.
Manual Setup The Accelerator System receives its Treatment Field
Values from the Accelerator Workstation MU The length of a
treatment (Monitor Units). Patients File Patients Treatment Chart,
e Sheet, and Polaroid Photo PC Personal Computer. PVF Port
Verification Film Polaroid Photo Picture of Patient Radiation
Oncologist Physician Red Folder A patients folder until treatment
is determined RT Radiation Oncology Number. RTT Radiation Therapy
Technologist RTT Radiation Therapy Technologist (Technologist)
Setup Room Room where Technologist A and B run the Accelerator and
VEEBAT Systems Radiation Oncology Work done with the simulator to
determine a Consultation patients treatment Supervisor Senior
Radiation Technologist TCP/IP Network communication protocol.
Technologist A Technologist responsible for VEEBAT Verification
during treatment. Technologist B Technologist responsible for
Accelerator Workstation during treatment. Total Dose Total
prescribed dose Treatment Field Actual fields used by the
Accelerator and Values verified by the Auto Download Verification
Function. See Appendix A for list. Treatment Folder Folder used by
Technologist during treatment Treatment Monitor A monitor located
in the treatment room used to show a patients name and Treatment
Field Values VEEBAT Account Electronic data entered via VEEBAT
Workstation with VEEBAT Administration Function. VEEBAT A program
running on a VEEBAT Workstation. Administration The program is used
to create and access Function patients VEEBAT accounts stored on
the VEEBAT fileserver. The program also provide various report
generation functions and administrative functions (i.e. System
Backup) VEEBAT Fileserver A workstation with houses the VEEBAT
Database. VEEBAT Process Verify Easily Electronic Before and After
Treatment Process VEEBAT System The actual components used to
implement the VEEBAT Process VEEBAT Verification A program running
on a VEEBAT Workstation. Function The program is used to provide a
verification before and after treatment VEEBAT Workstation A
workstation with monitor, keyboard, mouse, CPU, bar code reader,
and card swipe. The workstation provides the VEEBAT Administration
and/or Verification Function. Warning Signal Audio tone emitted
from VEEBAT Workstation when an error occurred but does not require
a Supervisor. White Folder A patients permanent folder during and
after treatment
Referring to FIG. 4, a block diagram is provided of a further
preferred embodiment of the overall system. The system is similar
to that of FIG. 1 but incorporates a number of differences as
discussed hereinafter or as will become apparent. A treatment room
110 includes a conventional linear accelerator 112 which
administers the radiation treatment to the patient and which can be
any conventional analog or digital system. A single verification
workstation is provided in the treatment room 110 which is
comprised of the following components which are not specifically
illustrated: a computer processor, a keyboard, and a mouse. The
workstation 114 also includes a monitor 116, a single magnetic code
reader 118 located at the verification workstation 114, and two
sets of barcode readers 120A, 120B and speakers 122A, 122B. In a
preferred implementation of this embodiment, each set of barcode
reader pairs 120A, 120B and speaker pairs 122A, 122B are located in
the treatment room 110 across from each other. In other words,
barcode reader 120A and associated speaker 112A are located on one
side of the room and barcode reader 120B and associated speaker
122B are located on the other side of the room. An optional
fileserver 124 is located in a remote location so as to enable the
use of a client-server based system and permitting an optional
verification workstation 126 to be located in a treatment console
area 128 or other areas or remote rooms 130 as indicated at 132.
This enables carrying out of system administration activities,
initial patient registration, and report generation but not
treatment activities. In the treatment console area 128 are located
a conventional accelerator workstation 134 and an associated
monitor 136.
With the setup illustrated in FIG. 4, the first technologist,
Technologist A, is able to swipe his or her unique ID badge at the
magnetic code reader 118 located at the verification workstation
114 inside the treatment room 110, registering the technologist as
the "treatment" technologist. The second technologist, Technologist
B, is then able to swipe his or her unique ID badge at the magnetic
code reader 118, registering the technologist as the "verification"
technologist. Technologist A is then able to scan the patient
photograph at the barcode reader 120B located near the verification
workstation 114. At this time, the system will determine if the
"Auto Setup" treatment described above is permitted. Access to the
Auto Setup features of the workstation 114 is only allowed if both
technologists have privilege for Auto Setup and if Auto Setup is
approved for the treatment of the patient. This is determined by
the Radiation Oncologist and configured during initial patient
registration. Next, the patient is set up at the linear accelerator
112 and oriented properly on the treatment table. Technologist A
then scans the patient photograph a second time at the barcode
reader 120B, thereby generating the patient unique audio signal.
Technologist B then scans the patient's paper verification sheet
(referred to above as the electronic sheet, or e-sheet or check
sheet) at the opposite barcode reader 120A, thereby again
generating the patient unique audio signal.
The verification process described above in connection with FIG. 4
provides a number of important advantages. First, the therapist(s)
are required to enter the treatment room with the patient since the
only verification workstation permitting treatment set-up, viz.,
verification workstation 114, is located inside the patient
treatment room 110. Having both therapists inside the room
maximizes the opportunity for satisfactory visual crosschecks.
Second, the patient's chart and photograph must be taken into the
room since these items are required to gain access to the
verification workstation. Together, these two items are the key to
establishing a "default to a safe mode of operation" process or
situation. In other words, with the patient's chart in the
therapist's hands and the therapist(s) inside the treatment room
during the critical patient set-up period, the therapist(s) are
given the opportunity to detect their own errors.
In another preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, the system of the
invention is utilized with an existing auto-download treatment
system (such as LANTIS, IMPAC, or VARIS) in a standard treatment
facility. The system of the present invention is indicated in FIG.
2 as the VEEBAAT system, which as indicated above, is the trademark
used to identify the system, and includes a computer 140, a monitor
142, a keyboard 144 and a mouse 146. The conventional system
includes, in the treatment room 148, a PRIMUS accelerator 150, a
LANTIS auto-download unit 181 including a monitor 142, keyboard
154, mouse 156, and LANTIS KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) receiver
158. The latter is connected to a LANTIS KVM splitter 160 which is
located in an area 162 outside of treatment room 110 which is, in
turn, connected to a LANTIS monitor 164 and to a LANTIS computer
166 connected to a PRIMUS computer 168 which controls accelerator
150. The existing auto-download treatment system communicates with
the accelerator's computer to automatically pass patient treatment
parameters prestored in a database to the accelerator 150 in the
place of requiring these treatments to be entered manually by the
technologist.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the system of the invention
can be utilized to prevent access to the auto-download system
unless a particular set of criteria are met. The criteria are as
follows: both technologists must log into the VEEBAAT system, both
technologists must have permission to utilize the auto-download
system (and as indicated above, this is a configurable item defined
within the VEEBAAT program), the ICD-9 code (a code which defines
the type/location of the cancer) must be configured to allow
auto-download (also a configurable item defined within the VEEBAAT
program), and the patient must be configured to allow auto-download
(another configurable item with the VEEBAAT program). If any of the
criteria is not met, access to the existing auto-download system is
not allowed. All of the configuration items are controlled within
the control system of the invention and can be altered by an
administrator who has been given permission to access/alter these
settings. The system of the invention also includes a built-in
access level security system which enables tailoring authority or
permissions for given users of the system. By controlling these
configuration items, the treatment facility may limit the use of
the auto-download system to individual technologists, individual
ICD-9 codes, individual patients, or any combination of the three,
as desired.
Access to the auto-download system is controlled by an electronic
KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switch 170 and controlled by computer
140. The KVM switch 170 is located between the auto-download
computer 140 and the auto-download unit 151 comprised of monitor
152, keyboard 154 and mouse 156. The computer 140 of the system of
the invention controls the switch 170 via an RS-232 serial
connection and enables/disables the auto-download system
(keyboard/video/mouse) unit 151. The auto-download system is
connected to Port A of the switch 170. Port B is left unconnected.
When the switch 170 is positioned to Port A, access to the
auto-download system is permitted. When the switch is positioned to
Port B, access to the auto-download system is prohibited.
The system of the invention allows access to the auto-download
system when all the required criteria have been met. If the
criteria are not met, access to the auto-download system is
prevented, thereby forcing the technologists to treat the patient
in manual mode and enter the patient treatment data manually into
the computer 168 associated with the accelerator 150. If the
criteria are met, access to the auto-download system is permitted
and the technologists can then load the patient treatment
information from the database and auto-download it to the
accelerator computer 168. With this configuration, the
auto-download system (i.e., the monitor 152, keyboard 156, and
mouse 156) is located inside the treatment room alongside the
VEEBAAT system (computer 140 and monitor 142, keyboard 144 and
mouse 146). This configuration forces the technologists to enter
the treatment room with the patient chart. The technologists are
therefore forced into a process which "defaults to a safe mode of
operation" should a system failure occur, since the patient chart
is required to gain access into the VEEBAAT system and VEEBAAT
access is required to gain access to the auto-download system.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, the
invention is used to assist verification of medications to be taken
by a patient in a hospital or like patient treatment setting. In
this embodiment, a laser barcode scanner or like detector or
reader, and an associated speaker, corresponding to those described
in connection with previous embodiments, is located near or at the
bedside of a patient and preferably mounted on the wall. In
addition, software is used which generally corresponds to that
described above but which is adapted, and simplified, to carry the
functions described.
In use of the system of this embodiment, the physician first writes
an order for medication in the patient's chart. The pharmacy within
the hospital receives the order for the particular patient and
dispenses medication assigned to, i.e., in association with, a
patient specific bar code assigned to that patient. In other words,
the medication is dispensed in a packet, bottle, carrier, container
or the like, with the patient specific barcode thereon.
Next, the bar coded medication is picked up by or delivered to a
nurse or other authorized medical practitioner who brings the
medication to the patient's beside along with the patient's
medication sheet.
In the next step, the nurse scans his or her badge or activates his
or her user identifier. Then the nurse provides that the medication
sheet is scanned by the scanner or reader, followed by the
patient's wristband, and a patient specific tone sequence is
emitted based on the barcode on the sheet. The nurse then provides
scanning of the medication container or carrier (for example, an
I.V. or bar-coded pill dish) so as to generate a matching tone
sequence so that the nurse knows that the medication container
barcode and medication sheet barcode match. As indicated above, the
patient will learn to recognize his or her patient specific tone
sequence, i.e., recognize a particular sequence as being uniquely
his or hers. Moreover, the nurse will be aware that the patients
will learn their specific tone sequence, and thus there is an
increased incentive for the nurse to verify that the medication is
correct.
When the tone sequence is matched and identified, the patient takes
the correct medicine. The system also records and verifies that the
correct medicine was given to the patient.
In a further implementation of this particular embodiment, the
system is used to assist in identifying authorized personnel
assigned to a neonatal nursery and to verify that these personnel
are authorized to care for infants, while also creating a verified
data record. The only additional equipment to that just described
needed is a scanner unit in the newborn nursery.
In this implementation, the identifying audio signal which is
specific to the patient (again, preferably a three note chord
played in sequence) is assigned to the mother in labor. When the
baby is born, the baby is also assigned a unique identifying tone
sequence which is generated in response to scanning a barcode
carried by the baby's name card on the baby's bassinet. In the case
of multiple live births, each baby receives a unique identifying
tone sequence. For example, the same chord could be used but with a
different suffix or ending (e.g., chord-one, chord-two,
chord-three).
The nurse must have a barcode bearing badge and when the nurse
takes the newborn from the mother, the nurse's badge is scanned by
the nurse through the barcode scanner, followed by scanning of the
baby's name card from the bassinet and next followed by scanning
the baby's barcode on a wristband or legband, and the baby's
three-tone sequence is generated after all of these scanning
operations are completed and playing of this sequence confirms that
the nurse is authorized to take the baby to the nursery. It is
noted in contrast to an alarm or the like, the tone sequence is
soothing and reassuring.
When the nurse, baby and bassinet arrive at the nursery, the nurse
scans her barcode badge, followed by the bassinet barcode on the
bassinet. The corresponding three tones, i.e., the three tone
chord, will then be generated, confirming that the assigned nurse
for the infant brought the infant into the nursery. The basic
program or process verifies and then records in the database the
various events that occur and the time at which the events
occurred.
When it is time for the nurse to take the baby from the nursery to
the mother's room, the nurse scans her bar coded badge through the
scanner at the nursery, followed by the baby's name card on the
bassinet. Again, the three tones are emitted, indicating that an
authorized nurse is taking the infant from the nursery.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the
invention is used to assist verification of medications to be taken
by a patient on an outpatient basis. In this embodiment, which is
illustrated schematically in FIG. 6, a laser barcode scanner and
speaker unit 180 similar to those described above (or an equivalent
unit,) are located in the patient's home, indicated at H, and
linked to a modem 182 to be monitored by a home health agency or to
function with a modem as a "stand-alone" in conjunction with a
portable computer 184 such as a personal data assistant (PDA) or a
pocket computer. The tone recognition software generally described
above would be installed on computer 184 and would be programmed to
recognize the barcodes on the patient's medication bottle, packet,
pill box or like container or carrier. In an advantageous
embodiment, further programming would include a medication
scheduler which would provide feedback to the patient about timing
of the medication to be taken. For example, the program could
provide for emitting the patient's identifying tone when the
medication container has not been scanned within a predetermined
period (e.g., two hours).
In operation, the process would begin with the treating physician
writing an order for medication on the patient's prescription. The
pharmacy would receive the order for the patient and dispense the
medication as assigned to a patient specific barcode on the
medication container. The container with the barcode would then be
given to the patient. The patient would take the bar-coded
medication container to the scanner unit 180 and provide for
scanning thereof. A tone sequence or like audio signal, specific to
the particular patient as described above, would be emitted thereby
indicating that the medication container had not been scanned in
the past, e.g., two hours. In an advantageous embodiment, the
system would be programmed to provide specific time window guidance
as to the taking of the medication, i.e., guidance as to what
medication was to be taken and within what time window, with
tolerances being programmed in based on input from the pharmacist
or health care provider. In any case, the program in computer 184
records and verifies that the medication container was scanned by
the patient and records the medication and the time of day for
later reporting. If, as shown in FIG. 6, the system is linked by
modem 182 to a home health agency, the report can be sent
automatically to the responsible parties via a cordless telephone
link.
It will be understood that while in the foregoing description,
patient photographs and other patient identifiers are used on the
source document or card carrying the barcode that is scanned to
call up the patient record and/or the audio signal file, other
identifiers, which are individualized for a particular patient, can
also be employed. Further, while including both a patient
photograph and barcode on the patient card has obvious advantages,
a single patient identifier can be used, for example, to call up
the audio signal file containing the audio signal assigned to the
particular patient. Other patient identifiers or identifying
processes that can be used for this purpose, and other purposes,
include retinal scanning, fingerprint scanning, iris scanning and
subcutaneously implanted microchip scanning for individuals who
request and consent to such devices for medical care reasons. The
patient identifier would be scanned or read by a scanner or reader,
preferably located in the treatment room as previously described,
so as to trigger the playing of the patient specific audio signal
when a patient identification or patient match was established by
the scanning operation.
Turning to yet another aspect of the invention, although a check
sheet as described above can be used in the various applications of
the invention (after suitable modification to adapt the sheet to
the particular application), in accordance with this further aspect
of the invention, an improved check sheet is provided which is
shown schematically in FIG. 7 and is generally denoted 190. As
shown, the check sheet 190 has a first barcode 192 at the top
middle portion of the check sheet, and a second barcode 194 at the
lower left portion of the check sheet. As discussed above, a check
sheet functions in radiation therapy as a manual quality assurance
tool in real-time. In the illustrated embodiment, the barcode 192
is fixed to the top of the page and contains the patient's
radiation therapy (RT) number with a Q suffix. In contrast, the
barcode 194 is removably affixed, e.g., by an adhesive, is located
at the lower left corner of the check sheet 190 and contains the
patient's RT number with a P suffix. Barcode 194 can be peeled from
the check sheet and applied to, i.e., stuck on, the patient's
identification photo, chart, identification card or identification
band at the time of simulation (e.g., virtual, fluoroscopic,
clinical).
When the applied stick-on barcode 194 (photo, chart, I.D. card or
patient band) is scanned, the patient's personal audio signal file
is activated, i.e., made audible. As indicated previously, in a
preferred embodiment, the audio signal is known and recognized by
the patient and the radiation therapy technologists (R.T.T.s) or
other medical practitioner or caregiver. Scanning the fixed barcode
192 at the top of the check sheet 190 generates the same audio
signal, confirming that the stick-on barcode 194 matches the fixed
barcode 192 at the top of the check sheet 190. The check sheet 190
can be used in in-patient medication delivery and infant
identification such as those described hereinabove, with I.D.
bands, cards, badges and medication check sheet verification. The
check sheet 190 can also be used in the outpatient medication
compliance system discussed previously.
The check sheet 190 minimizes the potential for mismatched barcodes
because it can be assured that the patient's number is the same on
both barcodes 192 and 194. Use of check sheet 190 is a one-step
procedure which optimizes the probability of correctly applying the
peeled barcode label to the correct patient record. The check sheet
serves as an additional safety net in the event other verification
systems are inoperative.
The invention has principally been described above with respect to
the application therefor to radiation therapy and although other
applications have also been described, there are still other
applications of importance. One of these is in the field of
chemotherapy. The system used for this application would include
anywhere from one to many individual stations. The hardware used in
a typical station of such a system is shown in FIG. 8 and is
comprised of a computer 200, a touch-screen monitor 202, a keyboard
204, a mouse 206, two speakers 208 and 210, a barcode scanner 212,
a laser or dot-matrix printer 214, and a barcode printer 216. In an
advantageous implementation, all of this equipment is located on a
single computer stand (not shown). The laser/dot-matrix printer 214
is used for printing of reports generated by the computer program.
The barcode printer 216 is used in printing of barcode labels for
new patients to be treated.
Referring to FIGS. 9(a) to 9(d), there are shown the basic steps in
a preferred embodiment of the treatment verification and record
method of this aspect of the invention. However, before considering
FIGS. 9(a) to 9(d), it will be understood that when a new patient
is to receive chemotherapy, the process begins with assembly of a
new patient chart. The steps involved are as follows:
Patient information (name, ICD-9 diagnosis, and so on, as required)
is entered into the computer 200 for the new patient.
The barcode printer 216 print out two barcode labels for the
patient, one for the front of the patient chart and the other to be
placed on the patient "flow sheet" (which is equivalent to the
"check sheet" described above). This enables the system to later
verify that the patient chart and the flow sheet always belong to
the same patient.
The laser printer 214 prints out labels for the drug syringes used
in the chemotherapy process. A nurse indicates how many treatments
are planned for the patient and printer 214 prints out the complete
set of labels for all treatments for this patient. Pre-printed
labels are then placed inside the patient chart. In this regard,
one label is used for each treatment session as the chemotherapy
drug is prepared and placed into the syringe for the patient. The
printed label includes the patient name and, in a preferred
embodiment, a barcode as well so as to allow the system to later
verify the patient chart, flow sheet, and syringes all are for the
same patient just prior to treatment delivery.
Turning now to FIGS. 9(1) to 9(d), in a first step (block 220), the
patient arrives for treatment. Although the next step (block 222)
may have been done hours earlier in the day, the patient chart is
pulled and treatment information obtained. In the next step (block
224), the syringe filled with appropriate chemotherapy drug and the
pre-printed label described above is placed on the syringe.
As a next step (block 226), the patient is taken to a treatment
room.
In the patient room, the nurse enters treatment room with patient
chart (block 228) and scans chart barcode (block 230) and flow
sheet barcode (block 232). The patient specific audio signal is
generated at, in this preferred embodiment, the left speaker 208
(block 234) thereby allowing the patient to verify that it is their
chart. The system also verifies on the screen of computer 200 that
the two barcodes correspond to each other, i.e., that the patient
chart and flow sheet are for same patient. The actual sequence
preferably provides that the nurse select a treatment chair or
regime from the touch-screen monitor 202 and indicate that a new
patient has arrived for treatment, followed by the two barcodes
being scanned and the matching audio signal being generated. At
this point, the system would then display the patient name to the
nurse, thereby providing a visual verification of the patient
name.
In the next step, indicated by block 238, the patient is hooked up
to an IV and some pre-treatment drugs administered. These drugs are
anti-nausea, dehydration and like drugs. In one implementation of
this embodiment of the invention, these drugs are also barcoded as
well and are scanned at a scanning station prior to delivery. This
would aid in charge capture by providing all drugs that are
delivered in connection with a procedure are scanned into the
system.
In the next step (block 242), the pre-chemotherapy treatment is
administered. The pre-treatment drugs are normally administered for
approximately one hour. The nurse sets up a "timing bag" at the
same time, which causes an alarm to go off when pre-treatment drug
delivery is completed. To assist here, a countdown timer is
advantageously provided so as to enable the nurse to get an
overview of each patient, their treatment status ("pre-chemo" or
"chemo"), and the time remaining. After hanging the timing bag, the
nurse would just select the appropriate patient chair on the
touch-screen 202 and start a countdown timer to provide an alert as
well as an indication as to when the pre-treatment is completed. As
indicated by block 244, the nurse would normally leave the room
during this period.
As set forth above, when pre-treatment is complete an alarm goes
off. The nurse then retrieves patient pre-filled syringe and enters
treatment room again with the patient chart (block 248). The
patient chart, flow sheet, and syringe are scanned by scanner 212
and the patient specific audio signal is generated in response.
More specifically, as indicated in FIG. 9(c), the barcode label on
the patient chart is scanned first (block 250), the barcode label
on the flow sheet is then scanned (block 252), and the patient
specific audio signal is generated at the left speaker (block 254).
The barcode label on the syringe is then scanned (block 256) and a
patient specific tone generated at the right speaker (block 258)
thereby enabling patient verification. This also verifies that all
barcodes are assigned to the same patient and this, of course,
includes the syringes. For high-risk patients (those with specific
ICD-9 diagnosis or those flagged manually by the nurse during
patient registration), the system also provides a prompt for a
verification nurse to enter his or her badge or other identifier or
initials at the station to indicate that someone has verified the
drugs prior to administering the treatment. This simply adds an
additional cross-check for high risk situations.
At this time, the nurse is able to start a countdown timer if
desired for treatment delivery and the chemotherapy starts (step
260).
Once treatment is completed (block 262), the nurse selects a
patient chair on touch-screen 202 and indicates that the treatment
is completed. As indicated by block 264, the barcode labels on the
patient chart and the flow sheet are scanned by scanner 212 but no
audio signal is generated as this is not required for this step. A
report can be generated at this time and printed in real-time to
indicate the actual treatment given as well as the previous
treatment history and the treatments remaining for the particular
patient (block 266).
It will be appreciated from the foregoing that reports can be
generated from the computer station indicating the particular
patients that have been treated during a given time frame. The
billing secretary can use this to verify that all patients treated
for a given day were billed appropriately. In addition, in a
preferred implementation, billing information is transferred
electronically in real-time following treatment completion to a
commercial medical billing software system across a network. This
latter approach captures all chemotherapy charges electronically as
they occur without requiring manual efforts alone, to track all of
the billing.
It will be appreciated that all of the steps outlined above in
connection with FIGS. 9(a) to 9(d) are not new and although a
number of advantages of the invention should be apparent from the
foregoing, it is believed to be helpful to contrast the treatment
of FIGS. 9(a) to 9(d) with typical current treatment practice.
In a typical chemotherapy treatment, one nurse hand labels blank
peel-off labels, and a schedule and chart are used to mix the
required drugs. After the drugs are mixed, the syringe to be used
is labeled with the patient name and the name of the drug (e.g.,
Adriamycin). The labeled syringe is placed next to the chemotherapy
hood. The patient is next escorted into the infusion area and
seated in the chair. Vital signs are taken and they are typically
recorded on a blank scrap of paper for later transfer to the flow
sheet of the patient's chart. The drugs (e.g., Zofran and Decadron)
are started and during this period the nurse transfers the vital
signs from the scrap of paper to the flow sheet. The "timing" bag
drips in so as to delay the alarm referred to above and the
infusion pump sounds the alarm when the bag runs out, indicating
that it is time for the chemotherapy treatment to begin. At this
point, the nurse hears the alarm and injects the syringe into the
bag. The nurse uses then writes the drug name on the bag in
"Sharpie" indelible marker, the bag is hung and the infusion rate
is programmed into the pump. After the patient receives the
infusion, the nurse or nurses must document the charges manually on
several forms.
In the treatment method of the invention, the patient chart is used
to mix the drugs and, as indicated previously, the registration
process results in the printing of two barcodes, one for the chart
and one for the flow sheet as well as the correct number of
peel-off labels for the particular drug course or protocol. As set
forth above, after the drugs are mixed, the syringe is labeled with
a barcode label which includes the patient name, the name of the
drug, etc. (e.g., "Jane Smith, Adriamycin, cycle 2 of 4" or "Jane
Smith, Cytoxan, cycle 2 of 4").
The next part of the procedure is the same as in conventional
treatment through the seating of the patient in the treatment
chair. At this point, the front cover of the patient chart would be
scanned and the audio signal generated in the left speaker. The
chart is then opened, the flow sheet scanned and the audio signal
generated in the right speaker. The vital signals are then taken
and recorded in the chart on the flow sheet, in real time.
As in the currently used procedure, the drugs are then started and
the "timing" bag infuses to delay the alarm, the infusion pump
sounds when the bag runs out and the nurse hears the alarm
indicating that it is time for chemotherapy to start. At this
point, the nurse injects the previously labeled syringe or syringes
into the bag which is labeled with a "Sharpie" marker as in the
conventional process. At the end of the treatment, the nurse scans
the patient chart and flow sheet and the above-mentioned billing
prompt is generated (e.g., Bill patient? (Mrs. Jane Doe) yes/no). A
positive response to the billing prompt generates a hardcopy sheet
which is initialed by the nurse, signifying that the sheet agrees
with the flow sheet and the signed hardcopy sheet is sent to
billing.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a medical
billing system and method are provided which is specifically
designed to ensure capture of charges that are sometimes missed or
overlooked in billing for medical services. The system provides for
logging in of the presence of a patient treatment chart or check
sheet at a particular location such as a treatment room. The
presence of the chart at that location can be determined, for
example, based on an event involving the chart such as scanning of
the chart by a scanning device at that location, as described
above, or by using a tracking system which keeps track of the
location of the document. When the patient treatment chart is
determined to be located in the treatment room, the presumption is
that the patient is being treated and thus that services are being
rendered that should be billed for. By logging the presence of the
chart at the treatment room into the billing system, the system is
alerted to the fact that treatment has occurred or will occur and
that a bill for the treatment should be generated. If no bill is
generated, the billing system is queried as to why, and an inquiry
is made.
Although the invention has been described above in connection with
generating a characteristic audio signal in response to a match
with an identifier, and this has important specific advantages, in
an alternative embodiment, a visible indication or signal could be
provided in a match situation, e.g., by energizing a light source.
Further, a particular visual pattern unique to the patient and
known to him or her could be generated in a match situation.
Turning to a more general consideration of the invention, it should
be appreciated from the foregoing that the core method or process
of the invention is not a primary verification tool. The invention
serves to provide a secondary verification opportunity or
documentation affirmation of other verification processes and does
not replace or undermine other existing verification methods. One
key difference between the invention and other systems or methods
is that the invention enlists the patient in the identification
process in a positive way. The enlistment is done in an
aesthetically pleasing manner, with the above-described tones being
emitted from the background. In this regard, it is noted that
foreground stimuli would only further distract the caregiver and/or
patient who is already bombarded by stimuli from numerous automated
systems. Further, the invention does not contribute to automation
induced user complacency because the identifying tone employed in
the preferred embodiments of the invention, is a pleasing sound
that differs from the beeps and alarms associated with other
medical technologies which are designed on management by exception
strategies. The system awards the user for doing the right thing,
rather than penalizing the user for a misstep, which is how other
systems work, and all this in view of the patient. Moreover, the
tone is intended to provide specific reassurance, not alarm, in the
listener. The invention preferably uses a database of protected
audio files that produce a tone sequence specifically assigned to
the individual patient. The listener then recognizes his or her
tone chord on a long-term basis.
As more therapies move in the direction of chronic condition
management as opposed to acute care management, the advantages of
the invention will become even more apparent. This is particularly
true in an environment noted for severe shortages in nursing
personnel as well as in the area of high technology specialties
such as radiation therapy, where new or temporary personnel are
brought in to care for clients and patients with complicated
chronic medical conditions. Delivering incorrect medication or
treatments in highly specialized care settings can have a far more
serious consequence in the medical environment of today than it
would have just a few years ago. As treatments become much more
tailored to an individual's disease or predisposition to a disease,
the consequences of delivering even one wrong treatment may be far
more toxic to the patient. Specific, targeted treatments often have
a narrower therapeutic window, and may be beneficial only when
delivered to a certain patient under certain conditions. The
invention is flexible enough to be able to emit confirmatory tones
under these refined scenarios, i.e., to confirm that the patient is
the correct patient, the treatment chart is the right chart, and
the sequencing or timing of the treatment is correct, and, as
indicated above, this is all done in the background through the use
of pleasant audio signals which can be recognized internationally,
independently of language differences. It is noted that the chord
sequences selected for international distribution could be derived
from major chords for individuals of western background or a
western country of origin, but could also be matched to the country
of origin by using in the tone assignments, minor chords or other
culturally more familiar chord-based tone sequences for individuals
from non-western backgrounds or countries of origin. Further, a
pre-chord sequence preferably provided that would serves as the
geographic/year of origination of the tone assignment.
In some of the preferred embodiments of the invention described
herein, two speakers are provided in the treatment room on opposite
sides thereof. It has been found that "panning" of the audio signal
across the room, i.e., playing the sound on one side of the room in
response to a first scan and then playing the sound of the other
side of the room in response to a second scan is advantageous. In
this regard, panning helps with recognition of the audio match
event, by differentiating the event from other sounds in the
treatment room and by differentiating a repeat scan of the photo
from scanning of the photo and then the check sheet. Preferably,
the length of the tone chord is 2 to 3 seconds for a monosound
setup and 1/2 to 2 seconds for the panning embodiments. These times
are designed to provide the most efficient way to match
task-critical entries in the shortest time and are based on
maximizing discrimination based on tone contour and melody
recognition.
It will be understood that a safety system ideally should be
designed so that a successful recovery procedure can be implemented
if the primary process should fail. The present invention does this
because the invention serves to provide positive confirmation. In
this regard, in a preferred embodiment, if the scanned patient or
treatment demographics do not match, resulting in no tone sequence
generation, the user hears nothing. The absence of the confirmatory
tone sequence is what prompts the caregiver or patient to question
the treatment that is about to be delivered. This is an important
point because if the system of the invention should fail for any
reason, the patient or caregiver is prompted by the absence of an
audio confirmation to investigate further. The system of the
invention is not an alarm that prompts the user to investigate
because if the alarm should fail, the user does not know that the
safety mechanism has failed. If the system is silent when a tone is
expected, the user becomes more vigilant.
Although the invention has been described above in relation to
preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be
effected in these preferred embodiments without departing from the
scope and spirit of the invention.
* * * * *